Green Cleaning

If you have every had a pet, you know that “accidents” can happen. Whether it’s your brand new carpet, or shiny hardwood floor, if you have a pet, eventually you will be cleaning up when they have left a little something behind. But the same floor you are cleaning is also the one they are commonly rolling around on, or worse, eating off of. So when cleaning up, you have to be careful to use a product that won’t make your pet sick!

Angel and I on 4th of July

Thankfully, CleaningProductsWorld.com sells a few products that are great floor and carpet cleaners but still safe for use around pets (and kids too!). One product we recommend is Simple Green- it can be used as a carpet stain remover, general carpet cleaner, and even a floor cleaner. It is completely non-toxic-just make sure to use the proper dilution.

Also, Spot Shot has a new formula that is non-toxic and biodegradable, yet still removes tough and old stains from carpets! Stock up on these products at CleaningProductsWorld.com and get Free Shipping on orders over $50!

I just saw this article on ABCNews.com about how more and more states are requiring schools and government buildings to use “green” cleaning products.

“After a burst of legislation last year, 10 states including Connecticut, Illinois and New York require or encourage “green” floor waxes, window cleaners and other products in schools, according to Green Seal Inc., a nonprofit that certifies the products. Similar bills are expected to be debated this year in at least five states.

Critics say that while the measures are laudable, states should not mandate which products schools and agencies must buy, especially if they increase costs for governments that are struggling financially.”

In my opinion, green cleaning products should be mandatory in schools especially, unless there is no alternative to the traditional. High rates of asthma and other allergic conditions have been attributed to a rise in usage of dangerous chemicals. Switching to green products like Seventh Generation, Nature’s Source, and Clorox Greenworks will help make schools and buildings much safer, and most of the time, the cost is not much higher. What do you think?

With Christmas less than 3 weeks away, now is the perfect time to consider what steps you are willing to take to give yourself a truly ‘green’ Christmas.  Below are 12 Steps to help make sure both you AND the environment enjoy this holiday season:

1.    Purchase an “Environmentally Responsible” Christmas Tree
I completely believe that nothing says “Merry Christmas!” like walking into a house and being overwhelmed with the smell of fresh balsam.  And while some green enthusiasts may believe they are doing the environmentally responsible thing by purchasing a fake tree, artificial trees carry a gigantic carbon footprint, the PVC used to make them is NOT biodegradable, lead is often used as a PVC stabilizer. So, when you’re shopping for a tree, look for a green certified, cut tree. If you need help looking, the Coalition of Environmentally Conscious Growers can help you find one.

2.    Re-use Christmas tins and fill them with baked goods
Every year, we all get tins upon tins of Christmas baked goods, fudge, and popcorn. Instead of throwing the tins away, fill them with your own, homemade baked goods and give this new package to your loved ones.

3.    Need teacher presents? Give the gift of green, recycled toilet paper, paper towels, & tissues
While it is never expected to give teacher gifts, if you plan on doing so, why not give them something they can use in the classroom and most likely do not get funding for?

4.    Give the gift of green clean to Mom & Dad with a year’s green cleaning service
One Christmas, I prepaid a cleaning service to clean my parents house for an entire year.  To this day, they still say it was the best gift they ever got. And as you select your service, make sure the cleaning service uses green, natural cleaners and practices.

5.    Give vintage or used gifts
Vintage gifts are undeniably trendy – so as you hunt for gifts such as purses, furniture, or even books, don’t be afraid to check out a vintage shop. You’ll come away with one of kind gifts!

6.    Purchase fair trade, ethical products
As you make your list and check in twice, be sure to look for fair-trade products. These products are manufactured  in Asia, Africa, Latin America and other parts of the world and provide low-income artisans and farmers with a living wage for their work. Check out the Fair-Trade Online Store for great gift ideas.

7.    Be conscious of your added electricity usage
As your house glimmers with its impeccable display of lights, be aware of this  added electricity usage. As you turn your outdoor lights on, why not turn the indoor ones off?  Try lighting some candles or your fireplace – the effects are magical!

8.    If you need to purchase new Christmas lights, buy energy-efficient LED Christmas lights
These energy efficient Christmas Lights are Energy Star approved and have an endless list of perks  including 95% energy reduction, capable of lasting 100,000 hours, fire safe, and the strings stay lit even if one burns out.

9.    RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE all of the Christmas wrap, boxes, tissue paper, etc

10.     Use Green Cleaning Products & Recycled Trash Bags when getting your house sparking clean
As you get your house in tip-top shape for the holiday season, don’t forget to use green, natural and biodegradable cleaning products and recycled trash bags. In fact, make this your New Year’s resolution to make the switch to green cleaning products permanent!

11.     Send electronic Christmas cards
When you send out your family Christmas cards this year, skip the old fashioned way and do it electronically. It will not only save you postage, but it will reduce paper waste and fuel emissions in the process.

12.    Buy local for your holiday get together’s
Why buy tomatoes from foreign counries when there are fresh ones in your local area? Buying local helps promote local businesses and farms, reduces fuel emissions, and promotes sustainability. So the next time you go to purchase carrots for your holiday spread, remember the average carrot travels 1,838 miles before it gets there.

In short – YES! The green cleaners on the market today are much more powerful (while still natural!) than when they were first introduced. As the green cleaning products category gained a larger following and big name brands (Clorox, Windex, Scrubbing Bubbles, etc) started to invest in their green product lines, the quality and effectiveness of these eco-friendly cleaners increased as well.

Now, most of the green cleaning products on the market are in line with their traditional counterparts. In fact, Good Housekeeping couldn’t ignore this segment any longer, so they recently unveiled their “Green Good Housekeeping Seal” to help designate the green products that pass their normal standards, PLUS an additional set of green practice requirements.   Nature’s Source cleaning products, a new line of green & biodegradable cleaners made from 99% natural ingredients, was the first group of products to earn this highest regarded designation.

One of the bigger problems most green enthusiasts worry about today is not whether or not the products are effective, its actually whether or not their ‘green’ products are truly ‘green’. Since the FDA & EPA has yet to designate a complete set of green product standards, hypothetically, anyone can call their products ‘green’. When purchasing green cleaning products two of the most important factors to look for are a) Whether or not it is biodegradable and b)What the ingredient label says.  While there are many other factors to consider (such as if the company has a strong sustainability policy or if the products come in recycled plastic bottles), these two factors relate the most to the ‘greenness’ of the actual product.

I hope this helped answer some of your questions about green & eco-friendly cleaning products.  If you have more questions, please don’t ever hesitate to shoot me an email – I’d be happy to answer your questions!

Can I clean while pregnant?

Whether this is your first time pregnant or you’re expecting the 5th addition to your family, one question you may have during your pregnancy is whether or not you can clean while pregnant?

In answering this question, keep in mind the basic principal of safe pregnancy – anything you come into contact with your baby is potentially exposed to it as well. Your child’s development (especially during Trimesters One & Two) is crucial, extremely sensitive, and no two women’s pregnancies are the same.

In general, it is safe to clean with GREEN, NATURAL cleaners
With lots of cleaners these days claiming to be green & natural, the most important feature to look for is a NON-TOXIC cleaner. Take a quick look at the ingredients list on the label and if there is anything you wouldn’t feel safe exposing your baby to, ask for someone’s assistance on that task. Two chemicals that most doctors agree will NOT cause harm to either your or your child are ammonia and chlorine.

Wear elbow-length gloves and a breathing mask while cleaning
The gloves will protect your body from anything that could potentially get into your skin in the area that will most likely have the most exposure to the products while cleaning. The breathing mask (the ones worn by painters and in hospitals) will help filter the air.

If you decide to hire a cleaning company, make sure they are using GREEN, NATURAL cleaners as well
Just because someone else is doing the physical work for you, doesn’t mean you can’t still be exposed to the harsh fumes and residues left behind long after the cleaners have left. Make sure all of the window cleaners, carpet cleaners, disinfectants, aerosols, & air fresheners the company uses are non-toxic and free of harsh chemicals. For a listing of green cleaners, visit the International Janitorial Cleaning Services Association’s Directory of Green Cleaning Services.

Please remember, these are recommendations for the average pregnancy, but you should always speak with your doctor about conditions relating to you specifically. For a listing eco-friendly cleaners, please visit the Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products section of CleaningProductsWorld.com.

According to Nutrion Business Journal, sales of green cleaning products are up 35% and continuing to rise.  While most users can rattle off a laundry list of positive reasons for using these natural, eco-friendly cleaners, here’s one more reason we may sometimes forget: They’re safer for our pets too.

Pets have the most contact with places we clean, sanitize & disinfect
They walk with their bare feet  on the floors we clean, lay on the surfaces we disinfect, and rub their bodies on the coffee tables and chairs we sanitize; all which are things normal humans don’t do.  This increased exposure puts them at a higher risk for allergic reactions, nausea, vomiting and other long term effects such as kidney, liver, heart damage, and cancer.

Pets’ immune systems are more at risk for the adverse effects of traditional cleaning products
Since their bodies metabolize and process things differently than humans, they are more at risk for the harmful side effects of traditional cleaners.  This factor, combined with their increased exposure to the chemicals, can be a potentially extremely harmful combination.

Pets like to lick – that means the chemicals too
Think about how many times we’ve seen our furry friends eat treats off the floor or lick their coats after rolling around on the floors we’ve just cleaned.  When they do this, they are essentially eating the chemicals.

How to fix the problem – Use Safe, Non-Toxic Chemicals
The solution to this problem for our dogs, cats, hamsters and other pets is simple – switch to green, natural, non-toxic cleaning products in your home.  When searching for new green cleaners, the most important thing to look for is to make sure the chemicals are non-toxic. They don’t contain the potentially harmful substances of traditional cleaners, ensuring they live their 7 lives to the fullest and healthiest.

Congratulations to Clorox Green Works’ Natural Bathroom Cleaner for being one of the first products to be awarded the new Green Seal of Approval from Good Housekeeeping!

I’ve been a big advocate of Green Works since its launch in 2008.  Unfortunately though, due to the lack of regulations in the Green cleaning products segment, I’ve seen some reluctantly from consumers to try various green cleaning products for either fear of the products not working as effectively or for not being “green” even when the products claim they are.

This new Green Seal by Good Housekeeping solves both of those problems.  In order for products to earn the Green Good Housekeeping Seal, they need to first meet all the requirements and pass all the same tests of a regular Good Housekeeping Seal product.  Additionally, Good Housekeeping has established an additional set of criteria (ranging from chemical composition to corporate social responsibility policies to banning animal testing) that the Green Seal products must also meet.

According to Good Housekeeping, their new “Green Seal” was established for 2 reasons:
1)    Give customers a reliable guide to products that are truly environmentally sound
2)    Encourage manufacturers to adopt more green practices into their composition, production, packaging, distribution, and use

So if you are looking for a completely unbiased guide to green products, remember to visit the Green Seal section of GoodHousekeeping.com.

In appreciation of our customers’ continuous commitment to protect the environment, all orders placed this week on CleaningProductsWorld.com will receive a free reusable grocery bag.  When shopping, these green reusable bags will help reduce the 12 million barrels of oil and the 14 million trees a year that go into the production of plastic shopping bags.

Simply place your order by Friday, 9/11 at 5 pm to receive your free bag!  Also, check out our Eco-Friendly Products section to continue shopping green.

Thank you to all who have already made the switch to these green & eco-friendly cleaning products!

*Bags will be shipped separately from order; Please allow 1-2 weeks for delivery.

How am I? I'm a C-Fold Paper Towel Of Course!

C Fold Paper Towels are a type of parallel fold towel that create six panels with two parallel folds in a spiral fold configuration (Read – they fold inward!) This fold is also commonly used for bi-fold, tri-panel brochures and letter folds.

To allow the panels to nest inside each other properly, the folded in end panel is usually 1/32″ to 1/8″ narrower than the other panels.  C-Fold paper towels are extremely common in commercial and public restrooms as well as quick service restaurants and cafeterias.

Features/Benefits of C-Fold Hand Towels
•    Dispenses a large, fully-opened, absorbent towel, one at a time
•    Unique fold allows towel to be pulled without touching dispenser, reducing risk of cross contamination
•    Interfold design cannot be loaded incorrectly to prevent mis-feeds and reduce maintenance time
•    Optimum stacking ability

Looking for a great C-Fold Hand Towel?  Try Windsoft C Fold Paper Towels – they’re environmentally conscious, made from recycled paper, and yet are still thick, strong, soft AND absorbent.  What more could you ask for in a paper towel?

According to the US Department of Energy, Americans waste $3 million (or 2,700 terra-watt hours) of energy every year. To help put this number in perspective, the amount of energy we waste every year in the US could provide energy to the entire continent of Africa – for five straight years.

While this number seems appalling, during these tough economic times it’s important to realize we can Go Green and $ave Green by making small, effortless changes to our daily routines. Going green doesn’t mean we need to invest thousands of dollars in SmartCars, or replace every appliance with an energy efficient one. While these big-ticket items are clearly groundbreaking advancements in the green movement, the reality of the situation is these solutions may not be in many of our budgets and SmartCars may not be the most ideal method of transportation for our families of four.

The beauty of this situation lies in the fact our green savings return at a much higher rate than our ailing stock market portfolios. For example, we need to invest around $43,000 in the stock market in order to realize a traditional industry standard return of $3,000, or 7%, in one year. However in the green market, a mere $20 can return up to $3,000 in a year! For all the non-financial experts in the room, that’s a 15,000% return. It’s as if we purchased a $20 share of GE today, and then sold it for $3,000 a year from now.

To make sure this $3,000 gets safely kept in our bank accounts, there a few simple steps we can take to Go Green and Save Green in our consumption, home, and driving habits.

Improvements to Consumption Habits

• Buy a stainless steel bottle & fill it with your coffee or water needs for the day. You’ll help reduce the 3.3 million plastic bottles the US goes through in an hour and save almost fourteen hundred dollars a year.
• Start making transactions online – You’ll save on stamps, paper, & envelopes.And, many companies offer financial incentives if you enroll in their paperless statements, such as Citizen’s Bank Green Sense program.
• Invest in green bags – At a dollar apiece, they are much sturdier than their paper or plastic alternatives and will help reduce the 12 million barrels of oil and 14 Million trees a year that go into their production.

Improvements to Home Habits

• Unplug household appliances and electronic items not in use. If an electric item, such as a cell phone charger, does not have an on/off switch, it’s consuming almost as much electricity as if it were actually charging our phones. Other appliances, such toasters, TVs, or coffee makers, still suck up energy in their off mode, so try purchasing a surge protector and connecting these items to it. This will reduce your energy bill by 40%!
• Turn your water heater down from the standard 140 to 120 degrees. Since water isn’t dispersed at this temperature, you won’ feel the difference.
• The next time your traditional light bulb burns out, replace it with a CFL. While these bulbs are pricier, they last up to 10x longer and use 75% less electricity.

Improvements to Driving Habits

• When driving, rapid acceleration and braking causes a 23% decrease in fuel efficiency.
• Obeying the speed limit of 65 mph – you’ll see your gas mileage improve 10 -15%.
• Keep your tires fully inflated and make sure your gas cap clicks three times after fueling to avoid gas evaporation.
• Combined, these four easy steps will save you $540/year in fuel costs.

Overall, the best way to Go Green and $ave Green is through small changes to our daily habits. We don’t need to take drastic measures such as building wind farms in our backyards or resorting to candlelight in our homes. All we need to do is slightly tweak the tasks we already perform. During his famous inaugural address in 1961, President John F. Kennedy wisely stated:

“All this will not be finished in the first 100 days. Nor will it be finished in the first 1,000 days, nor in the life of this Administration, nor even perhaps in our lifetime on this planet. But let us begin.”

We all know we can’t eliminate those 2,700-terawatt hours of wasted energy overnight, but let us apply JFK’s head-on approach, and let us begin.